EXCLUSIVE
The parents of a teenage boy accused of stabbing multiple people in a shocking terrorist attack at a church are horrified and distressed by their son’s alleged actions, a relative says.
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly lunged at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, 53, and stabbed him in the head during his sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, in Sydney’s west, at about 7pm on Monday.
Father Isaac Royel, who serves in the Assyrian ministry at St Shimun Bar Sabbae and St Mary Cathedral, was among many parishioners who attempted to intervene – and as a result he allegedly suffered lacerations and a shoulder wound.
Churchgoers said they had seen the alleged offender wandering the perimeter of the church before the attack and said he stood out from the regular parishioners.
‘He knew the service was being live-streamed and he waited for the camera to turn on before the (alleged) attack,’ said Mary Anoya.
Both men and the 16-year-old boy were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, where the teen remains under police guard.
Now, a relative has revealed the family’s shock over last night’s event, describing the boy as a ‘quiet teenager’ who was ‘not a terrorist or ISIS sympathiser’.
A boy, 16, (pictured) has been arrested over a terror attack at a church in Sydney’s west
The alleged attack was live streamed over the church’s YouTube page
‘His parents are freaking out, they didn’t know what to do or why this happened,’ the relative said.
‘He’s just a kid who spends a lot of time at home but he doesn’t even have a computer. I know what has been reported what he said but it doesn’t fit with this kid.
‘He’s really quiet… He’s been looking to leave school and get a job, maybe in construction.’
The boy is one of three children. His taxi driver father is a Lebanese immigrant who moved to Australia 25 years ago and the family live in a humble home in south-west Sydney.
The relative said the teen’s parents live ‘like ordinary Aussies’, but on Monday had become concerned when their son left home and did not return.
After the alleged stabbing attack, the relative said the boy’s ‘panicking’ father had contacted him.
‘They didn’t know where their son was or what was happening,’ he said.
‘They are simple people, a good family, but I had to help them get some information from the police about where to go.
‘As far as I knew [the teen] hasn’t been in trouble before, and the idea that he follows ISIS is crazy.’
Police were seen searching the family’s home on Tuesday, with detectives carrying two large evidence bags and a black case out of the property.
Bishop Emmanuel (left) and Father Royel (right) were rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
Relatives, turning up to show their support for the boy’s parents, were seen coming and going from the property during the afternoon.
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, the boy’s father passed the phone on to another relative who said: ‘Sorry mate, they aren’t really in shape to talk.’
The new details comes as it’s revealed the boy had previously faced court on knife charges.
In November, he was charged with a series of offences – including knife possession, stalking and/or intimidation and recklessly destroy or damage property – after at incident at a Sydney train station involving three other teenage boys.
He was released on bail and placed on a good behaviour bond in January after his case was ‘proven’.
It is understood he was no longer subject to any court orders or supervision by law enforcement at the time of the alleged attack.
Bishop Mar Mari is a respected leader of an ultra-conservative sect of the Assyrian orthodox who has gained thousands of followers on social media.
He gained notoriety during the pandemic when he slammed Sydney’s Covid lockdown as ‘mass slavery’ and claimed vaccines are futile because living ‘normally’ will boost immunity.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb overnight designated the stabbing a ‘terror incident’, with detectives probing whether the boy had links to extremist ideologies.
Horrifying footage of the alleged attack, which was broadcast live on the church’s YouTube page, shows dozens of parishioners screaming and rushing to the bishop’s aid as he fell to the ground.
The boy was subsequently restrained until police arrived at the scene.
The incident sparked riots as an angry mob of parishioners clashed with police as they fought to gain access to the boy, who had to be separated from the crowd for his own safety.
During the furore, projectiles were thrown at officers, more than 20 police vehicles were damaged, and property was stolen.
Two police officers were taken to hospital after being injured by members of the crowd who broke into ‘a number of houses to gain weapons to throw at the police’.
The 16-year-old was removed from the church and taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for hand injuries sustained during the alleged attack.
He accidentally cut off one of his own fingers during the alleged attack, after rumours initially spread on social media he had been injured by vigilantes.
A NSW joint Counter Terrorism Team has been launched to investigate the incident, comprising members from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission.